Lead-HER-Ship

Posts Tagged ‘leadership’

The need for women to step to the helm of the ship has never been greater.  The forces are converging for a perfect storm which calls for a different kind of leadership.

The business environment has changed dramatically over the past 15 years.  To survive, organizations have to be nimble, quick and innovative.  The command and control environment with its hording of information and vertical decision making does not work anymore.  We need flexible structures, the breaking down of silos, and the free sharing of information toward common ends if we are going to compete in the market place.
Internal collaboration is replacing internal completion.  Diversity of ideas and experiences are being sought to get the best possible solutions.  Collaboration is spawned in networks of people, in relationships, not formalized structures.  Yes, things are a changing.

And who better to create environments of open communication and shared knowledge than women?  The research of Sally Helgesen, a noted thought leader in women’s studies, found 7 characteristics that were common in effective women leaders which speak to the heart of collaboration.

1. They place high value on relationships.
2. They prefer direct communication.
3. They are comfortable with diversity.
4. They share information.
5. They are skeptical of hierarchy.
6. They prefer leading from the center.
7. They ask big picture questions about the work they do and its values.

These are not “nice to have traits” in building a collaborative environment, they are essential.  There are more women in the workforce than ever before and businesses need to value the talents a woman brings to the table and offer more of them leadership positions.

“An important future indicator for a developing economy is its treatment of women ” Sheryl WyDunn

A country that gives girls equal opportunity has twice as much talent and brainpower. World Bank numbers show that in developing nations, money that targets girls and women show a 90% return versus 30 -50% for boys and men. Grameen Bank makes 97% of its loans to women whose repayment rates are higher.

Something to think about!

You can read my newest leadership article “Five Leadership Lessons Learned In A Canoe” at my other blog Plain Talk!